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Texas Recruiting Notes 2023: Strippers, Monkeys, and 5-Stars


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2 hours ago, Vertigo said:

I think it is fair to say that the team is improved at every position outside of WR. For the better play at times that Casey Thompson provided against lower tier defenses last season, he was a cancer in the locker room. Him being gone is a net positive regardless. Quinn has some shit to work on next season, but Arch will be breathing down his neck so that will be good for him, or he will fold and give way to Arch. Either way we should see improvement there next season. The WR thing perplexes me. Every guy outside of JWhit has just been bad. We need a talent infusion and for Marion to produce some actual development. I think losing Neyor was a bigger blow than we could have expected.

So now that y'all have come to the conclusion that UT probably needs some talent infusion at WR... Those of y'all who were on the fence of Jaden Greathouse as slot WR take, have y'all come around on that thought?

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4 hours ago, Michael Knight said:

Calling the receiver who leads us in yards and tds bad is certainly a choice.  We all expected more for one reason or another and hes certainly had some struggles but calling him bad is a stretch.

Bad only being relative to last year's performance. He is still a guy you love having, but his regression this year has been stark.

 

1 hour ago, TheMailBox357 said:

So now that y'all have come to the conclusion that UT probably needs some talent infusion at WR... Those of y'all who were on the fence of Jaden Greathouse as slot WR take, have y'all come around on that thought?

I think the question for Greathouse is just simply where he projects at the next level. Great player, but will he grow into an H Back or keep his weight down and become a nasty Anquan Bolden type of dude that just mangles DBs in the open field.

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2 hours ago, TheMailBox357 said:

So now that y'all have come to the conclusion that UT probably needs some talent infusion at WR... Those of y'all who were on the fence of Jaden Greathouse as slot WR take, have y'all come around on that thought?

I've probably seen 50 games Greathouse has played in and I don't see him as a typical slot due to lack of elite quickness off the line, but he could certainly play the role the way that Whittington has been playing this year.  Strong hands, good size, great body control and strength to break tackles.  He's also a willing blocker, though he has had is share of holding penalties (not so much this season).   He's got good enough open field vision to have returned multiple punts for TDs this season (4, maybe) despite the lack of elite speed.  I have trouble seeing him bulking up to play TE, which is how he had been projected at times.

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1 minute ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

Did the JUCO DL Hunter make it in for the TCU game?  Saw on the volnation board they were saying Tennessee mods said they had moved on from him.  Apparently landed another HS DL they liked and took his spot is what I gathered.

IT mentioned something about credits transferring being an issue for either Hunter or Elijah Davis. Forgot which one.

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56 minutes ago, pacman said:

Regarding Anthony Hill, we are assumed to be in the lead. The only threats are any unofficial visits he decides to take in the next month. None have been announced, yet.

Is that correct?

None announced. His dad says Ohio State, Bama, and atm will probably get visits, though. 

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14 hours ago, TheMailBox357 said:

 

 

 

 

because people probably forget/don't know, Stefon Diggs was the #8 overall player in the 2012 class. he played high school in Maryland. who wants to bet Ketch has seen anything other than his senior year highlights?

oh yeah, and Diggs was 6'1 in high school.

i like Niblett, i know not everyone does but he is a composite #66 player, listed at 5'10" and super raw.

that's a lazy comparison, but it's ketch so it should be a given. where else can you get such amazing analysis like "Hell, he's closer to a 6 star than he is to a 4 star" and "There won't be a lot of dudes wanting to match up man to man with him at the next level"

 

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The Stampede: Updating the confidence board for Texas recruiting
MIKE ROACH

 

(Well, if someone had to be rated "high", this isn't bad.

Anthony Hill, LB, Denton Ryan:  Hill is probably the most important target left on the board for the Longhorns, and he’s also the target I’m the highest on from a confidence perspective.)

 

Spoiler

 

The Stampede: Updating the confidence board for Texas recruiting
MIKE ROACH


We are exactly one month away from the beginning of the early signing period. The Longhorns currently have 21 commits and the No. 5 overall class in the 247Sports team recruiting rankings. The Longhorns will have to push to finish off this season with the class they want, and winning out on the field might help that effort.

With this class coming down to crunch time, every recruitment on the board will come more into focus. The Longhorns have several high-priority targets still on the board, and they are looking into adding them to an already-impressive 2023 class.

Where do the Longhorns stand with their targets?

In this week’s edition of The Stampede, Horns247’s weekly gathering of recruiting intel, we give you the confidence board on uncommitted targets and look at the status of several committed targets.

Deandre Moore Jr., WR, Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco

The Longhorns could have had a better showing on the field when Moore was in town for his official visit, but the Longhorn offense couldn’t produce anything against TCU. In talking to folks near Moore, the prevailing sentiment is that this race will ilkely come down to Texas or Georgia. Though he remains committed to Louisville, several people we spoke with don’t feel that he will sign with the Cardinals. I think Texas has a chance but Georgia will be a tough foe for him. The Bulldogs have several ties to Moore. I’d lean slightly to Georgia at this time but I don’t think this race is done yet.

Confidence:Medium-High

Ja'Kobi Lane, WR, Mesa (AZ) Red Mountain

We’ve heard a few more positive thoughts on Lane than Moore, but the USC commit has been quiet since visiting Austin. Coming out of the trip, some people we talked with felt Texas made a more positive impact on Lane than Moore and the Longhorns have an obvious need for a big-framed receiver. USC’s status as a potential Pac-12 champion and playoff contender could make a flip tough, but if he does flip, we think Texas would be the destination.

Confidence: Medium-High

Duce Robinson, TE, Phoenix (AZ) Pinnacle

This is probably a race I’m playing more cautiously than most. Several sources we talked to feel that we are underselling the Longhorns’ chances to land the elite tight end, but I just haven’t heard enough to make me drink the kool-aid on this one as of yet. Perhaps this comes down to in-home visits and who can make the best pitch about Robinson’s future. This is a race we will monitor closely all the way to the finish line, but for now, Georgia’s buzz, program success and development at the tight end position are hard to beat.


Confidence: Medium


Tausili Akana, EDGE, Lehi (Utah) Skyridge

There hasnt’ been a lot of buzz on Texas and Akana since he visited in September. With trips out of the way to LSU, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M, Akana is heading for the home stretch of his recruitment. Tennessee is the last school that will factor in here making it a battle of schools that either play in the SEC now or will eventually play in the SEC. Texas has some favorable ties in their advantage with his sister on the Longhorns’ volleyball team. There hasn’t been anything to say Texas is fading, but I haven’t heard anything to think they are surging either. This will likely play out all the way to the end.


Confidence: Medium

Johnny Bowens, DL, Converse Judson

It was surprising to many in Austin when Bowens included Texas in his final three along with Texas A&M and Oregon. After checking around, I don’t think there’s much to see here for the Longhorns. This will likely come down to the Aggies and Ducks and it sounds like Oregon could be the school to watch as of now.


Confidence: Extremely low

Justin Benton, DL, Covington (GA) Newton

Benton will make his official visit to Austin on December 3. The West Virginia commit spoke glowingly of Texas following his offer. Benton has been committed to West Virginia since June, but the opportunity to play in the SEC and the shaky status of Neal Brown’s job could be just what is needed for Benton to end up a Longhorn. Treat this like a stock with massive potential to skyrocket after the visit, and I think that’s the likely outcome following Benton’s trip.


Confidence: Medium-High

Roderick Pierce, DL, Oak Lawn (IL) Brother Rice

As we reported last week, sources informed us that Pierce was working on setting up an official visit to Austin. We’ve yet to confirm the visit will happen but believe it was close to being set when we were told. Michigan is seen as the biggest opponent for the Wisconsin commit, and the Badgers seem to be fading fast. This could be a rising score given he makes the visit and the outcome of that trip, but I think Michigan has the advantage.


Confidence: Medium-Low

Anthony Hill, LB, Denton Ryan

Hill is probably the most important target left on the board for the Longhorns, and he’s also the target I’m the highest on from a confidence perspective. We’ve heard the visit to Texas last week went well and the defensive performance of the team gave him a lot to think about. Hill has been open about taking this announcement all the way to signing day though we did hear he could have shut it down while on campus had he felt like it. After checking in with sources this week, our confidence on the Longhorns landing the elite linebacker is still high.

Confidence: High

Javien Toviano, CB, Arlington Martin

What seemed like a dying recruitment showed some signs of life when Toviano tweeted he would be in Austin for the TCU game. The four-star cornerback has been wildly unpredictable throughout his recruitment. Despite sources telling us earlier in the fall that Texas was in good standing, there has just been a massive lack of evidence to back that up. Toviano no-showing the TCU visit was a prime example of that as he hasn’t been to Austin since January despite traveling to Baton Rouge several times. The Tigers seem like the team to beat in this recruitment, and while I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of Toviano popping up on campus before signing day, him picking Texas would qualify as one of the strangest recruitments I’ve covered.

Confidence: Low

Jayvon Thomas, ATH, Dallas South Oak Cliff

Thomas has been on the fringe of the radar even after committing to Texas A&M during the spring. There have been several times that we were told he could be coming in for a trip only for Thomas not to make it. After speaking with people close to him over the weekend, there’s a push from the Longhorns right now to see if they can make an impact. Thomas is done with unofficial visits and will only take official trips from here on out. Texas Tech, TCU and Texas A&M are all slated for December, but we are told he would be open to visiting Texas if he can fit it in. The Longhorns would have to work to make a visit fit the schedule and a lot could depend on how deep his team plays into the playoffs.

Confidence: Medium-Low


Jelani McDonald, ATH, Waco Connally

Confidence was surging on McDonald heading into the TCU weekend, but the Horned Frogs are coming on as a tough competitor for the dynamic and versatile athlete. Connally dropped their area round playoff game over the weekend, so McDonald will be able to zero in on some official visits. I’d expect Texas to get one, and the Longhorns should be able to make a good impression with a second effort. TCU will also factor in heavily along with Oklahoma State who McDonald was previously committed to.

Confidence: Medium-High

Peyton Bowen, S, Denton Guyer

There is some reason for optimism with Guyer as Bowen has been looking for options closer to home despite holding a commitment to Notre Dame since the spring. Sources close to Bowen have said he’s been in contact with Blake Gideon and would be open to a potential visit down the stretch. The first step would be getting to campus before being able to feel any better about this one, but the class the Longhorns are putting together is playing in their favor. I still feel they are behind Notre Dame and Oklahoma to potentially win him over, but it’s a shot worth taking with a player like Bowen.

Confidence: Medium-Low

STATUS OF SEVERAL COMMITTED TARGETS
Derek Williams, S, New Iberia (LA) Westgate

Williams has been committed since the summer, and nobody in Austin seems to be that worried about his commitment. Schools like LSU and Alabama continue to work on Williams, and he’s indicated he’s open to taking some other visits. Anytime a commit is visiting other campuses, there’s some reason for concern. Texas did a really strong job with Williams early and forged a great relationship with him and the Westgate staff.

Malik Muhammad, CB, Dallas South Oak Cliff

Since Malik Muhammad committed to Texas in the summer, sources near him have indicated that he would be one to watch until the end, but he told Horns247 over the weekend that he’s “locked in” to his commitment. Muhammad has been talking about scheduling an Alabama visit since the early fall, but he doesn’t have a date locked in at this time. While we feel much better about his commitment status after talking to him over the weekend, sources near him still warn that anything can happen late. Muhammad is set to enroll early and will be at Texas on January 6.

Cedric Baxter Jr., RB, Orlando (FL) Edgewater

Florida State created a stir with Baxter over the weekend, but it seems to have calmed down since that time. The Seminoles are throwing everything they have at the elite running back, but sources in Austin didn’t seem to worry when there were rumors that he might flip. Steve Wiltfong had an update with Baxter’s father who said that despite the pressure from FSU, Baxter was planning to be at Texas next year. This is a vital recruitment for Tashard Choice who won him over in the summer, as Baxter has the talent to be an instant contributor on offense.

S'Maje Burrell, LB, North Crowley

Burrell was one of the first commits in the 2023 Texas class, but he’s talked several times about scheduling a visit to Baylor. Burrell was tentatively supposed to be in Waco over the weekend, but he didn’t end up making it in. This will be one to watch down the line to see if he makes a late trip. The Bears haven’t given in and are pushing hard to flip him down the line. I don’t think there’s major cause for concern at the moment, but I’m not writing Baylor off totally.

Dylan Spencer, DL, Houston C.E. King

We heard some buzz that Spencer was close to decommitting last week. In fact, we heard there were plans made to inform the staff of that decision from some credible sources, but nothing materialized. We don’t believe we were led wrong on that buzz, but the staff did speak with Spencer at the time. Whether that staved off the threat or not, Spencer is now on watch until signing day.

Liona Lefau, LB, Kahuku (HI)

There have been concerns about programs like Oregon and Tennessee potentially poaching Lefau, but his unofficial visit to Austin for the TCU game went a long way in him showing good faith to the staff. The overtures from those programs backed by big NIL collectives won’t likely stop, but any sort of anxiety there might have been around Lefau’s commitment seems to have faded a bit. Lefau is planning to enroll early and compete for immediate playing time.

 

 

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